EOE - are you for real????

Disclaimer: This is my personal experience. Your experience may or may not be similar. Make your own informed decisions.

So I decided that I wanted to get sliders for my X. Seemed simple enough - I had choices between EOE and Calmini. While there were plenty of people who were happy with both, I decided on the EOE sliders. Plus Todd is an XOC member and I like to support businesses that are helping X owners.

Monday June 24.
I called EOE's phone number to place the order. Nobody answered (middle of the day) but the voicemail picked up and I left a message stating that I wanted to purchase the EOE sliders. Never got a call back!!!!!!!!!!!

Monday July 1
Sent a PM to Todd telling him I really wanted to order the sliders. No response!!!

Tuesday July 2
Ordered set of sliders from Calmini. Shipped same day. Received today.

THANKS CALMINI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

EOE - If you want to be a business, you must act like one. Not returning customers calls, especially from someone who already wants to buy something, is inexcusable. There are several aftermarket companies that are supporting the X and I'm glad you make parts for it.

But you are not the only option. And I find it more enjoyable to spend my money with companies that treat their customers well.

THANKS CALMINI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I took had difficulties contacting EOE. However, I knew that I wanted there product and not Calmini's.

I persisted and guess what. I have EOE's sliders. I think they are great and serve more than one purpose for me.

1. They act as a steprail to get to the roof rack. Something I needed because I am only 5'6". My understanding is that Calmini's sliders sit too close to the body and don't provide a good place to step on to them.

2. They serve as a highlift jack point. Since my truck is now taller due to AAL's and new shocks I need an alternate way of jacking it up. I didn't think carrying around a floor jack was practical. From what I understand, I don't believe that Calmini's would work that well for this application.

3. They serve as rock sliders. This application is unfortunately going to be least used but does come in handy when needed. Right Wannabe .

Thank EOE (Todd and Rich) for providing a product that serves multiple applications.

IMHO, EOE's rock sliders were the better choice for me. Maybe not for others but for me they are the best choice.

Did you piss him off somehow? :p

Seriously though, I have had nothing but good experiences ordering from EOE.

I agree that Todd takes a while to answer you... Which could be improved...

But keep in mind too that it's a small operation, and he's up to his eyeballs in work for the upcoming ECXC, which is this coming weekend.

You wouldn't have gotten your sliders until next week or even later (lead time) anyway...

IMO, the EOE sliders are much nicer than the Calmini ones, but that's a matter of preference on your part.

So while I'm agreeing with you, I'm also disagreeing...

He is probably on vacation or something.

I don't have any personal problem with Todd or EOE. It simply a matter of lack of response. If the answering machine had said "We are on vacation....." or "It may take a day or two to get back to you...", that would have been fine. But I did not receive any reply at all.

I am not questioning the quality of the parts and did not intend for this to turn into EOE vs. Calmini thread. I just wanted others to be aware about my experience.

Business is about giving the customer what they want, when THEY want it. Not when it is convenient for the business. Those who understand that will get my money.

Trust me. He's NOT on vacation. Like people have said, he's been up to his eyeballs with work for ECXC. From what I heard, there's a 3 week list for sliderz right now. Lots of people ordered them for ECXC. I can't imagine how many he's bringing w/ him to PA that day...

Todd some times is slow to get back, but trust me its worth waiting for
with all the ECXC planning, and last minute purchases people are doing for the trip , i could see how your messege could been delayed

I am yet to hear from him about the messege i left to him over a weekened, but i know that i will get the answer some time today , or i will stop by his shop and whoop his ass

Dealing with EOE requires a lot of patience. I too shared your frustration while trying to order sliderz. I persisted because I need that step up that Calmini does not provide. I've been real happy with them and Todd seems to be trying hard. Would I buy from EOE again... yep, but I'd sure look around first.

I'd give him the benefit of the doubt. Todd's been fantastic every time we (PNWX) needed something from him.

Sorry Anderair.... but as some know EOE is a small shop, I design all the parts myself and fabricate most of them as well as take care of the customers orders. I have some part time guys that help out but companies like Calmini have been around for 15 years or so and have gone through the same growing pains EOE is...someday EOE will have a much bigger full time staff with dedicated customer service people but the products I make speak for themselves so to many they are worth the wait.

For anyone who needs to get in touch with me, send me a PM, e-mail or call(973-769-0574) if you don't here back from me personally then please bug the crap out of me ...I want to give EVERYONE personal assistance in the modification of their truck but I do fall behind...again sorry but EOE will keep cranking out the products for everyone to abuse and enjoy and sometimes there is a wait for parts, but as others will tell you they are well worth it.

Look for some new prototype parts to show up at ECXC, I am sure there will be plenty of pictures after this weekend of them.

I ordered my sliderz form Todd over a year ago. back then, EOE was the only show in town and I waited over 90 days for mine.
I was patient.
Todd had fired his fabricator and changed fabrication shops during that period.
I was patient.
I had been billed, but no sliders...
I was patient.
UPS lost my slider shipment, sent em to the wrong zip code... somewhere in Oregon!
I lost my mind.
Todd sent me out another set the next day.
I was happy.

Guys, understand one thing, and i have preached this since day one.

Shops like EOE, AC, and SLR are small personal shops... honestly, they're like your next door neighbor who knows how to weld... "really well". There's a lot of moving parts to making these types of parts:

1) Prototyping (initial design of this shit)
2) Testing (breaking your shit before you sell it )
3) Sourcing parts/fabrication (shit is expensive)
4) Fabrication (most shit is made by someone else proffessionally)
5) Finishing (powdercoating... takes time to ship heavy shit like these).
6) Packaging (this shit is heavy)
7) And of course shipment (damn this shit is heavy)

What keeps them in business is thier quality products and support form guys like me.
Pester, be patient and understanding... you can't get this kind of stuff anywhere, so support those who make it for you.

Calmini had the exact same issues with keeping them in stock when they first bust onto the scene a while ago. Now they've had time to build up a big supply and have extras in stock.

They're currently having the exact same problems with thier lifts and bumpers. Calmini's custom torsion bars are made by a fab shop who screwed them up... it happens to all of em.

Pick your product you want, and bug your vendor until you get it. This puts aftermarket Xterra products on the streets (or your truck), money in your vendor's pocket, and money for them to do more R&D.
Hope you like your Calmini sliders. I really like me EOE sliders!

Todd, where's my bumper! See... It'll work I gaurantee it!

ROFLMAO!!!

Todd - I'll talk with you at ECXC or afterwards about that thing...

Don't you mean their torsion bars?

Ooops...
Yep, I meant torsion bars... corrected in original post.

On the sliderz...
I got mine from 4CRAWLER.
I have a 2002, and had to measure the mounting holes myself, and send to him.
He made them for me- heavy duty MFs...BEAUTIFUL!! And they fit like a glove, and act as a step too. Hilifting is NO problem! And they take the abuse as good as or better than others, w/ the 3/16ths thick steel outer bars.
Roger is a true professional. Answers emails in MINUTES, not days.
He packed them professionally too, and accepted COD payment.
I will never look back....
my 2 cents.

Speaking of the devil!!
I just ordered mine from him today via email; there was some miscommunication over the year of my X and the amount that I wanted the sliderz to stick out from the frame for step rail functionality (he even emailed me the dimensions of the factory step rails as a reference). I must have exchanged ~10 emails with him today & you're absolutely right -- he answers emails in minutes vs. days.
So far a very cool consumer experience & I can't wait to slap 'em on!

I could be wrong, but I think that's because he's not working right now. Funny how (or not funny how) so many of us in the SF Area aren't working right now. DOH!!

I shall not dignify that comment with a reply. Oops, I just did.

I have had No problems dealing with EOE and Todd. He came through for me numerous times, right before a wheeling trip on a tight deadline. The EOE rck sliderz saved my rocker panels and doors too many times to count. Thanx Todd..

Yeah, probably a bit of a contributing factor, huh? But at the same time it's likely he does have other things of higher priority going on as well (meaning I get the impression that he's not aspiring to make a living out of making offroad vehicle parts); I did hear there was a time when he was overloaded & stopped taking slider orders.
I should also mention I've had excellent experiences with Todd @ EOE -- sometimes you can't get his attention right away but when you do he seems to bend over backwards to resolve any issues.